New Catholic Church/ DUP coalition! Is this they way forward?

[armaghniac]

That's the case I thought it might be, armaghniac. No mention of drunkenness there, and the law has been changed since then. Rightly so, in my opinion, but it's so much easier to lump people in with those you don't like than respond to awkward scenarios.

I don't know if there were any subsequent cases.

[red hander]

I'd oppose, as a matter of principle, anything that unites the DUP and Catholic Church

[foxcommander]

If only Big Ian was around now things could be so much different

[Maguire01]

Rubbish.It is not segregation,discrimination nor bigotry to retain the right to refrain from providing goods or services contrary to your religious beliefs.If a Catholic pharmacist refuses to stock contracepties for catholic customers is thatbdiscrimination? Ashers have basically done something similar to this.

It would be discrimination only if they sold condoms to non-Catholic customers.
As i've said, I suspect Ashers will win their case, and I suspect the DUP know this, hence the push on this legislation before a judgement is made.

But your B&B scenario is totally different. You're providing a room and breakfast - it's the same service whether it's a man and a woman, two women, or two men. Therefore you are discriminating based on the customer and not the service.

[Maguire01]

Rubbish.It is not segregation,discrimination nor bigotry to retain the right to refrain from providing goods or services contrary to your religious beliefs.

But "religious beliefs" can be a cover for ANY belief. It's a totally subjective concept. If your beliefs mean you object to interracial relationships, for example, should you be allowed to refuse a room in your B&B to an interracial heterosexual couple?

[T Fearon]

Maguire if you're a Christian and believe homosexuality to be sinful,then by letting out a room in your house two homosexuals you are ,according to your beliefs,facilitating sinful activity,and in return for pecuniary game which makes it worse.

You are not discriminating against homosexuals in any way,you are simply refusing to facilitate sinful activity.

You would also not let a room knowingly to an unmarried heterosexual couple either,for the same reason.

[T Fearon]

Religious beliefs are the qualifying factor,as accepted by the main Christian churches

[Maguire01]

Religious beliefs are the qualifying factor,as accepted by the main Christian churches

Ah right, so only things that are a problem for YOU. If it's a problem for people with non-Christian religious beliefs, well they just have to accept equality legislation?

And you think that such a definition could be made in legislation, do you? Are you suffering from this "intellectual deficit" you referred to?

[T Fearon]

It becomes a problem for me if I'm a Christian and in business and a prospective customer demands goods or services the supply of which are in direct conflict with my beliefs

[muppet]

Maguire if you're a Christian and believe homosexuality to be sinful,then by letting out a room in your house two homosexuals you are ,according to your beliefs,facilitating sinful activity,and in return for pecuniary game which makes it worse.

You are not discriminating against homosexuals in any way,you are simply refusing to facilitate sinful activity.

You would also not let a room knowingly to an unmarried heterosexual couple either,for the same reason.

Is sleeping against your religion?

[Maguire01]

It becomes a problem for me if I'm a Christian and in business and a prospective customer demands goods or services the supply of which are in direct conflict with my beliefs

Then you shouldn't be in business. If the customer is asking for the same goods or services as you're providing for every other customer, then you're discriminating.

[Hardy]

Maguire if you're a Christian and believe homosexuality to be sinful,then by letting out a room in your house two homosexuals you are ,according to your beliefs,facilitating sinful activity

But the Catholic church does not hold homosexuality to be sinful. I holds homosexual ACTS to be sinful. Therefore, as the hypothetical owner of the B&B refusing a room to the gay couple, you are discriminating against them for being gay, not for anything "sinful".

[easytiger95]

Jesus, has he actually opened this B'n'B? Might be worth the trip for a laugh.

By Tony's logic, a homosexual couple would be unwelcome because it would be facilitating sinful activity. Whilst Cardinal Brady would be more than welcome, as he has never facilitated sinful activity. Ever. And even if he did he was only a young fella. And he wasn't the only one at fault, sure the parents were more to blame than he was.

How do you like your eggs in the morning your worship??

[T Fearon]

Same goods and services? Ashers don't ice  gay wedding cakes for anyone.The likelihood of a homosexual couple engaging in sex in a shared bed is reasonably high don't you think? This is where the conscience clause comes in.One Christian B&B owner may judge that to provide a Bed in his home for a homosexual couple is likely to be facilitating sinful acts,another may judge he is,to the best of his knowledge,just providing a sleeping accessory.

[Maguire01]

Same goods and services? Ashers don't ice  gay wedding cakes for anyone.The likelihood of a homosexual couple engaging in sex in a shared bed is reasonably high don't you think? This is where the conscience clause comes in.One Christian B&B owner may judge that to provide a Bed in his home for a homosexual couple is likely to be facilitating sinful acts,another may judge he is,to the best of his knowledge,just providing a sleeping accessory.

Ashers weren't asked to bake a gay wedding cake, whatever a gay wedding cake is.

The likelihood of a homosexual couple engaging in sex in a shared bed is probably as likely as a heterosexual couple engaging in sex in a shared bed. But that's irrelevant, because your business is providing a bed.

If you owned a bed shop, would you refuse to sell a bed to a gay couple?